Pacific Coast Steelhead Management Meeting

What Are Managers Required to Provide Their

Constituents?March 9-11, 2004 Bob Leland

Steelhead Management

HistoryManagement objectivesWhere we are goingSome questions that need addressingSummary

Washington State Steelhead Management Areas

Boldt Case Area

Tribal co-managementNo ESA listingLittle supplementation of wild fish

Southwest Washington

No tribal co-managementLower Columbia ESU steelhead were listed

as “threatened” in March, 1998Wild Steelhead Release regulations

initiated in 1986 for most of the ESU

Upper Columbia and SnakeUS vs. Oregon

Tribal co-managementESA Listed as “Threatened” (3/98) and, in the

Upper Reaches of the Columbia, “Endangered” (8/97)

Catch and Release (Wenatchee) in 1983Wild Steelhead Release for Upper Columbia in

1987, and in 1985 for the Snake River BasinSection 10 Permit to Manage Excess Artificially

Propagated Steelhead to Enhance Natural Origin Populations (10/03)

Steelhead Management

HistoryManagement objectivesWhere we are goingSome questions that need addressingSummary

Management Objectives

Maintain healthy wild runsProvide hatchery fish for harvestAllocate harvestable surplusProvide diversity of opportunityFederal legal requirementsCo-management with Tribes

Management Objectives

Management by river systemsEstimate runsizes – wild fish focusSet escapement goalsMonitor fisheries and escapementImplement in-season management actions

Steelhead Management

HistoryManagement objectivesWhere we are goingSome questions that need addressingSummary

Where We Are Going?

Review and Modify the SHMP

Complete SHMP in 2 yrs, under SEPAWork with staff, constituents, advisory

group and tribesEscapement goalsDiversity of recreational opportunitiesHatchery production

Develop regional plans for diversity of opportunity and recovery needs

Review and Modify the SHMP

Incorporation of Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) Recommendations

Wild steelhead/salmonid mgt. zones, sanctuaries Segregated Management Programs (discrete

gene-pool that is segregated, genetically & reproductively, from natural spawners) Use locally-adapted hatchery (early-timed) segregated

broodstocks Manage the hatchery stock to maintain early spawn

timing

Review and Modify the SHMPIncorporation of Segregated Program

Recommendations continued:Smolt release & adult harvest strategies that have

minimal impact on wild populationsMark all released hatchery-origin fish to max.

harvest, assess stray rates and assess genetic risk to natural stocks

Release fish in a manner to minimize straying & opportunities for natural spawning

Returning hatchery adults constitute < 5% of natural spawners

Review and Modify the SHMP

Incorporation of Integrated Program Recommendations (maintain genetic characteristics of “wild” fish among hatchery-origin fish)Good hatchery practices10-20% of broodstock is composed of natural-origin

spawnersDetermine proper size of hatchery programs releases

based on goals of stock< 1/3 of natural origin escapement should be hatchery-

origin adultsControl hatchery spawners through harvest, trapping, etc.

Steelhead Management

HistoryManagement objectivesWhere we are goingSome questions that need addressing Summary

Returning hatchery segregated stock adults constitute < 5% of wild spawners

Determine proper size of hatchery programs releases based on goals of wild stock

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Hoh River – segregated stock

Esc. goal for wild = 2,400; 5 yr avg. = 2, 700Early timed smolt release target = 100,000Hatchery harvest 5 yr. avg. = 2,800

@ 70% harvest rate = 4,000 hatchery runsize1,200 hatchery fish, potentially spawning with

wild@ 90% harvest rate = 3,100 hatchery runsize

300 hatchery fish, potentially spawning with wild

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Hoh River - segregated stock continued –

@ Wild esc. goal = 2,400; only 120 hatchery should have potential to spawn with wild

@ 5 yr. avg. wild esc. = 2, 700; only 135 hatchery should have potential to spawn with wild

Too many hatchery fish have the potential to spawn with wild fish From 180 to 1,080 hatchery fish

Too many early-timed fish!

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Can efficient enough traps be put into streams to remove excess hatchery fish?

Can methodologies be developed to better estimate total hatchery run sizes?

Should early-timed hatchery release numbers be lowered or totally eliminated?

Can both tribal and recreational fisher desires be addressed?Economic/Social – tribal and recreationalCultural – full season; November to March/April

Some Questions That Need Addressing

For integrated programs < 1/3 of natural origin escapement should be hatchery-origin adults

Determine proper size of hatchery programs releases based on goals of natural stock

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Hoh River – (numbers from current targets/data)

Esc. goal for wild = 2,400; 5 yr avg. = 2, 700Integrated stock smolt release target = 100,000Integrated stock harvest 5 yr. Avg. = 2,800

@ 70% harvest rate = 4,000 integrated stock runsize1,200 integrated stock fish, potentially spawning

with wild@ 90% harvest rate = 3,100 integrated stock runsize

300 integrated stock hatchery fish, potentially spawning with wild

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Hoh River continued – Wild esc. goal = 2,400; @ < 1/3 up to 800 integrated

stock fish could have potential to spawn with wild5 yr. avg. wild esc. = 2, 700; < 1/3 up to 900 integrated

stock fish could have potential to spawn with wildAt 100,000 smolt release target, number of integrated

stock fish that may spawn with wild fish is: From 300 to 1,200 fish – is with-in/close to HSRG targets

Looks real good on paper!

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Will there be funding for facility improvements/ new facilities to implement properly?

Can efficient/weather resistant traps be put into streams to remove/separate excess hatchery fish?

Can methodologies be developed to better estimate total hatchery returns/run sizes?

Will funds be available to monitor the harvested portion of run?What actually is harvested; wild/hatchery?

Some Questions That Need Addressing

What is left to spawn?Hatchery or wild, and in guideline proportions?We do not currently know? Hatchery fish esc. estimates

are mostly mathematicalCan both tribal and recreational fisher desires be

addressed?Economic/Social – tribal and recreationalCultural – full season; November to March/AprilNon-selective gear used by tribal & non-treaty fishers,

may have greater impact to wild than hatchery portions of run? Mortality estimates difficult to derive.

Some Questions That Need Addressing

Need to start over on pre-season estimations of tribal and sport impacts After 25 years, have it nailed down

Within the up to 33% hatchery fish allowed to spawn with wild, what will the impacts be, 20 or greater years from now? How do we avoid a potential genetic monster?How will the new hatchery/wild interactions be

determined under this new set-of-rules? We’ve learned a lot about early timed hatchery steelhead and

their genetic impacts on wild.

Steelhead Management

HistoryManagement objectivesWhere we are goingSome questions that need addressing Summary

Summary

WDFW has a lot of steelhead management history.Maintaining wild fish is the top priorityHatchery fish are for harvestProvide opportunity for tribes and sport fishers

New SHMP will be completed in 2 yearsHow will HSRG recommendations be

incorporated into the new SHMP.

SummaryWill adequate funding be available to monitor and

evaluate incorporated HSRG recommendations:Determine proper size of hatchery program for

segregate and integrated programsWild fish are protected for the long term

Segregated program impacts Continued hatchery/wild interactions

Integrated program impacts Monitor the changing fisheries & escapement composition Continued hatchery/wild interactions due to grater proportion of

spawning hatchery fish (up to 33%)

Will tribal and recreational fishers accept changes in their fisheries, due to HSRG?